


Heros of Borealis

by I_guess_im_a_turret_now



Category: Portal, Portal 2
Genre: F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-13
Updated: 2019-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:35:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21782644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_guess_im_a_turret_now/pseuds/I_guess_im_a_turret_now
Summary: A superpower portal AU. This was first thought up by starrynightingale! I'm just taking the concept and runnin with it.Chell gets powers, shananagins.
Relationships: Chell/Wheatley
Comments: 9
Kudos: 15





	1. Vision of valor

The sweet smell of freshly baked pastries and coffee envelopes Chell as she takes the full black tray from molly. 

"Tables 5, 6, and 8 miss Chell!" Molly gives her a soft warm smile before she disappearing back behind the purple curtains. 

Chell give a quick nod and goes straight to business, taking the coffee's and cake slices to their respective tables. 

Soft smooth jazz pours out of the cafe speakers and mixes in with the soft pleasant midday chatter from the guests. Each one give Chell a small wave and a polite thank you as she makes her rounds. And she takes great satisfaction in only giving the patrons a polite nod back. 

It's her 3rd week at the cafe and she wished she had done this sooner. Moly, the cafe owner, a sweet woman in her fifties with beautiful dark skin, dark curly hair with some gray strange here and there, and warm dark eyes, was the sweetest manager she has ever had! Chell doesn't have to speak if she doesn't want too, and despite being a little local business, has offered paid time off if she ever has to run off home. 

Chell gives a soft tired smile as she looks out over the cafe. 3 o'clock was always the busiest hour. Every table was full (though there weren't many tables) but Chell takes a breath as she sees that everyone has been served and attended too. 

She walks back over to the register counter, placing the tray next to the bowl of butterscotch candy. Leaning back with her arms crossed she looks out and waits for someone to call her over. 

Moly comes back out from behind the curtains with two takeout boxes and a plastic bag. She places them beside Chell and whooshes the bag open with a few flicks as she speaks

"Your doing so well today! Thank you soon much for your help, this may be the fasted I've gotten through the 3 o'clock rush!" 

Chell smiles up at her, and gestures to the boxes, eyebrows knitted in a question as she point from the boxes to the tables. 

Moly shakes her head and gives a few soft chuckles as she lays the bag down and places the boxes in it. "these are for you dear! I want you to go home early today." 

Chell turn to her fully, arms on her hips and eyebrows knitted to a confused expression as she once again gestures to the full tables. 

"Oh don't worry I've got it all under control! Kim is coming in soon, so you run along home and get your things before the pharmacy closes." 

Moly rounds the corner and wraps the handles of the plastic bag around Chell's hands. Chell gives a tired smile as moly goes behind her and starts lovingly pushing her into the back "Go on! Go on! I don't need you till 5 tomorrow so you go relax!" 

Chell give a silent chuckle and she is ushered into the back. She does as she's told and marches to the break room. Taking off her apron and gathering her things. 

Before she leave she goes into the bathroom, looking into the mirror as she does a checklist. 

* rash? No no sign of rash   
* She wasn't dizzy or nauseous today   
* No unusual bumps that weren't there before  
* No thirst for, what did the paper say... lizard blood?

She shakes her head as she cleans herself up a bit. 

A few weeks back Chell had been fired from her job at a grocery store for 'refusing management and misconduct' she deeply regretted the moment one of the head mangers herd her voice that day. 

It had been a slow day with less people, so she could speak without being uncomfortable or in pain. On those days she didn't mind conversations that much. Especially because her coworker Mel was always a delight to speak to and was the only good thing there. However the manager didn't seem to like or understand her selective mutism and instead continuously barked at her for her 'behavior' and soon got her fired for it. She was more than glad to go but as the job didn't pay well enough she was at risk of losing her old apartment if she couldn't get any money. 

While between jobs she once heard a rumor about how aperture enterprises was running secret experiments and paid a good amount to anyone who was willing to participate. So after a few days of endless hunting she managed to get in. 

She had already heard enough from doug about what aperture was like but her curiosity got the best of her and she needed the cash. 

They brought her through, gave her the aperture test uniform and made her preform some personality tests on paper before continuing. Chell, not wanting to give anything about her way, basically bullshited the tests. 

Next they ran some other weird tests that resulted in nothing. However on her way to one of the test chambers, one of the scientists went out for a second to get something. Chell decided to look through some of the papers on the table. When she picked them up she noticed two nearly empty viles, with blue and orange liquid in them respectively. She picked them up to look at them. Holding one in each hand as she noticed that it looked as if both viles had cuts across the glass, she moved them around in her hands to inspect them. 

When she laid them flat in her palms she felt a stinging sensation. She jerked and tossed them out of her hands back onto the table. Her hands buzzed strangely and she could have sworn the viles were now somehow empty. But before she could get a closer look to prove her hypothesis, she heard someone coming and quickly placed the files back where they were and stood completely still and stoic as to not give any sign she had touched anything.

The scientists was back and was now escorting her to the next test chamber. Chell could no longer feel a stinging tingle in her hands and thought nothing more of it. Thinking it was merely a bit of broken glass that had nicked her hands. 

They continued with the tests and when the scientists sadly found nothing of interest, sent her home with a list of possible symptoms like 'dizziness, nausea, blood loss, cancers tumors growing, violently growing purple rash, something about lizard blood?'

Chell had found no signs of those symptoms in the weeks that passed. And was glad for it. The tests they made her do were weird and, looking back on it now, was definitely not worth the money. 

Gathering up her book bag and the boxes Chell pushes past the curtains and begins to walk out. Moly gives her a enthusiastic wave goodbye that Chell matches it with a smile. One of the customers rushes over to the door before Chell can even let herself out. With a dramatic flair and a tip of his dumb Indiana jones hat he hold the door open for her 

"You have a nice night there, pretty lady" he says the most smooth voice he can muster as he gave her a wink. 

Chell rolls her eyes but still politely signs a "thank you" towards him as she leaves. He continues trying to talk to her as she leaves. Something about a pretty lady always needing a big strong man (like himself he adds) to walk them home in such a big dangerous city. Chell only shakes her head and throws a dismissive wave behind her as she walks already crossing the street too the small pharmacy just on the other side.

Borealis may not be the safest city in the world, but Chell can handle herself just fine. 

As she stands in line to wait to get her roommates perception, Chell pondered about stoping at the book store on her way back to the subway. Needing some new reading material as she finished her last book a day ago and was in need of a new one. 

However she only had so much money on her, as she gave a good amount back to doug for rent. So she would have to wait another day, meds comes first and it's the least she could do for him.

The old man already has the medicine ready and hands it to chell before could saying anything. Chell give a small smile and she pulls out her wallet to pay and- 

'That's little shit' 

Where there was originally $50 there was now $250. He slipped her rent money back to her when she wasn't looking! Along with a note that reads, "cube payment" with a little charcoal drawing of a cube with wings and a heart on it. 

She huffs in an amused annoyance as she pays for the meds. Those cubes she sewn for him were a gift, and a fun time waster. He wasn't supposed to pay for them. Then again he said she didn't need to pay rent because he got it covered but it just didn't feel right to her. 

Oh she's gonna have to get him back for this! Maybe a good batch of potato soup will do the trick nicely, and doing all the dishes this week before he can. Yeah that'll get him back. 

Tho she suppose a new book they'll both like couldn't hurt either~ 

...

The streets are always crowded at this hour. People bustling by paying no mind to each other as they pass though life. 

Chell spent a little too long at the book store today. When she finally paid and left the sun had already set. So much for going home early. 

Music blasts from her headphones as she waits in the train station. Standing there as the train came through the tunnel and slowly came to a halt. The doors slid open as she entered and made her way to a spot. 

Chell wraps her arm around one of the polls and wait for the train to start moving again. She always prefers to stand while riding so someone else could sit. Also because any time she sat down the seats were always grossly damp. 

She stands across from a guy in a wheelchair. Dorky big round glasses, a baby blue blanket wrapped around his legs and a mess of blond hair that looked like it was constantly getting in his eyes. He was messing with something in his lap, looked like legos. 

Chell smiled lightly as she turned her attention to the book she just got. A rather short book but one she's been meaning to read. About a young girl that gets turned into an old woman. The tide ft a little more calm peaceful than usual.

...

Chell unlocks the door to the apartment and lets herself in after give a few knocks in a pattern as she enters. She closes the door behind her and locks it as she is greeted by a fuzzy familiar face. A puffy mess of gray fur and blue eyes comes trotting up to chell and plops down on the ground at her feet. Chell smiles as the cat rolls on it's back and looks up at her, giving a soft mew as chell leans down to pick her up. The kitten places her paws on chells shoulder and nuzzles her face, purring loud in her ear as chell strides over to the kitchen counter to place down her two bags. 

From one of the other rooms, shifting can be herd as a man was messy black hair and a scruff stubbled face comes limping in. 

"Chell?" He asks, as he peeks around the corner.

Chell looks over at him. She smiles and gives a small wave as the kitten climbs more onto her shoulder. 

Chell digs through one of the bags and pulls out a small white paper bag with some paper stapled with it and gives it a soft shake.

"I said you didn't have to get them for me, I though I told you not to do that." He says with mirth in his voice. He limps over with his cane favoring his left leg as he walks. He gently takes the bag from her hands and opens it up 

"I thought I told you not to pay me back for the cubes a made you" Chell replies with equal tease. Letting nifty (her kitten) drape herself across chells shoulder 

"Well I thought I told you that you didn't need to pay rent," he shoots back as he shanks the pill bottle in her direction "I'm not gonna make you pay any kind of rent when your under this roof."

Chell rolls her eyes and lets out a little huff of laughter as she stows away the cafe treats in the fridge for later "What are you, my dad?"

Doug lets out a hefty chuckle as he limps over to the cabinet where he keeps his medication. "Hey now I almost was missy, so watch your tone before I give you a bed time" 

Chell lifts an eyebrow at him as he places the pills next to his near empty bottle in the cabinet. When he turnt to her again he sees her slight smirk he gives a short laugh.

"Yeah I know, you're the one taking care of me these days." he passes Chell as he walks over to the other cabinet to get a cup. "Things really have changed a lot huh?" As he does so Chell lightly bumps his leg with her hip.

"Yeah this leg doesn't help either. Damned thing was giving retched pain all day, hurts a little more the yesterday. Everything else is getting a bit worse as well" he looks past Chell with weary shifting eyes. Searching just beyond the living room 

"Take your pills"

"Yeah yeah, I'm going I'm doing it, see?" He wiggles the cup in his hand for emphasis.

Chell gives a small huff as she kneels down to let the kitten walk down her arm back to the ground. The kitten wonders over to the cube by the couch and jumps up onto it, nestling into place. Chell rings around to counter to start getting dinner started. She's gonna make the best potato soup him he's not even gonna know what hit him. 

Doug fills up his cup, his hands shake. He's tired and can't wait to get this under control, as much as he loves his dear companion cubes voice the others aren't so kind. And the feeling that someone is watching won't go away. He really should have gone out to get his meds earlier. Would have save Chell the trip, sweet girl as she is she's really been helping him more than he's been helping her lately. As he's about to turn to continue his pull taking progress, something big appears in the corner of his eye, and in a panic he blindly tosses the cup and gasps clutching at his chest. 

In a panic Chell turns, she sees the cup dropping and throws out her hand in instinctual reaction. She feels a small burn in the palm of both her hands, and just like that it's gone, but as she's about to rush over to tend to the inevitable mess, she finds something, well, a bit peculiar.

Two, small holes in the floor, one rimed a bright blue, the other a bright orange. Both giving off a soft glow. And between them, or well, in them. Is the cup. Passing through one hole, into the next then out the other. 

Doug stares at this for a while, just as confused as chell. 

"Well, that's a new one" he give a tired chuckle before shanking his head and looking up at Chell. 

"These hallucinations are getting pretty...creative..." his voice trails off as he noticed Chell bewildered expressions as she looks from the 'hallucination' to her hands. 

Chell crouches down and snatches up the cup when it pops out of the blue rimed hole. Curiously, she slowly pushes her hand through the orange one, and sees it come out the blue one. She wiggles her fingers one by one to make sure it's hers, that they're still connected and that it's real. 

She takes her hand out and looks up and doug. He looks down at her, his eyes dance between her and the holes. Chell can see the wires moving to connect dots in dougs mind as his expression slowly changes. He looks like he's about to say something, but shakes his head and makes it his first priority to take his pills before trying to figure out anything. 

As he does so Chell continues to mess with the holes, mesmerized by the cat toy she dropped in watching it go up and down, back and forth like the cup did. 

When Doug returns from his pill taking adventure, he looks over the kitchen island to see Chell still looking at the floor. And, more importantly, that the holes are still there. Of course the pill are going to take a while to kick in but Chell is never one to play into his hallucinations, she a good person who's always been good at helping him ground himself through delusional episodes. But here she is, seemingly sharing the same delusion. 

"Can you do it again?" He asks cautiously, his eyes watching the toy mouse.

Chell looks up at him with a slight light in her eyes at the challenge. She stands up, and takes a moment to think of how she might of done it. She looks at her hands, and holds them out in the way she did before. Noting which hand is pointed at which color, she move her right hand and points it at the wall above where nifty and the companion cube are. 

She wait for the toy mouse to pop out of the orange and then focuses... concentrate... a soft burning sensation blossoms in her right palm like putting her hand over the lit flame of a candle. The felling surges through her palm and just like that the blue hole has move. 

Another blue rimed hold appears in the wall and the toy mouse come flying out and gently bops the kitten in the head. Nifty jumps up and starts batting at the toy that has been thrown at her and fall off the cube casing it. 

Chell lets out an exited huff and doug lets out a sighs. If both Chell and her cat are reacting to all this then it's not just him. He limps over and gently puts a hand on chells shoulder squeezing tenderly.

"Well, I guess all those aperture tests actually did do something after all"

...

A few hours pass. Doug's pills had fully kicked in and Chell was still making the blue and orange holes. 

She had been sitting in the living room floor placing the holes in different areas. Throwing more random cat toys through them to test them out. Each time it's worked. 

She did have a moment of panic though when nifty had jumped through on of the holes chancing a toy. But after a moment of light panic and checking nifty she was still perfectly fine and happily kicking at the toy snake Chell had dragged trough the holes. 

Doug came out of his room, hair still wet from his shower and sat beside Chell on the floor. He watched for a bit as she practiced placing the holes around her in different spots. Each time she would focus on making them bigger, but each time she did her palms felt like they were burning deeper. She could now feel it building up in her arm traveling up to her elbows. It didn't hurt, it was a soft under the skin burning like she had been in direct sun light for a long time, feeling the rays dance trough her skin and nestling in her bones. Or like she was asleep next to a fire bit, perfectly safe, and warm. She kept at it, and now she could make them a bit bigger but they were starting to short out and disappear on her.

As doug put his hand on her arm the holes both blinked out as she looked at him like she just notice he was there. She smiled as she noticed that his beard was gone and that his hair was brushed out and clean. She knows when he's getting bad when he starts looking like a drowned rat. Insurance can be a bitch sometimes when it came to filling up his prescription a little early. But when he gets too low he starts skipping doses to save them for when he needs them most. He starts getting paranoid that he's waisting them and will need them more later. 

"So, did those scientists down in the secret testing labs say anything about puncturing holes through the fabric of reality by any chance?" He asks in a half serious half teasing tone. 

Chell give a silent chuckle and shanks her head 'no'

Doug sat for a bit and lightly took her hands to look at them, he was by no means a doctor, he was just an engineer at aperture but after a while for working there you start to learn about the tale-tale signs of aperture made accidents. 

"Does it, hurt?" He asked as he lightly rubs his fingers over her hand. Chell shanks her head, then realized he assent looking at her when she did, so she wiggles her fingers at him. He looks up at her and she shakes her head 'no' again when she sees he's looking at her this time. 

He give a nod as he looks back down at her hands. There seams to be no scaring, it could just be his eyes but, he thinks he can see faint colors of orange and blue on each hand respectively. A faint glow like she had dunked her palms in his liquid watercolors and had just washed off extra paint while still leaving her hands slightly stained. He should know, even after his shower his hands are still faintly stained with blues, purples and reds from today's work. 

"What will you do? Are you going to go back to them?" He asks as he lifts up his gaze to meet her cool silver eyes. She shakes her head

"No, they don't need to know..." chells spoke soft, but firmly. There was no need to go back. She has a new job, and a nice place to stay with a good friend. If she went back and told any of the scientists of this new development then they would surely keep her there and test her more. Chell already hated the thought of being stuck in a hospital, but aperture felt much, much worse. 

"I don't blame you, it's a wise choice," he smiled but his eyes shown grim "don't wanna end up like me, that is no place anyone should be in."

Chell nodded, Doug would know all too well what happens in there, shes luck to have only gone in for a day and made it out with only a weird new power. 

Especially now, rumor has it that it's getting more dangerous there, she would hate to be the sad soul working there now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was my first time writing something like this, and I bet it shows. Hope y'all like it!


	2. Master of droids

The mindless background noise of the office drones on around Wheatley as he works. The soft flickering of his computer screen, the bright fluorescent lights, and the faint smell of chemical cleaners mixes together to form his newly developing headache. 

He looks down at the edge of his screen. '4:30' it reads. Only and hour and a half left to go. 

He sighs, pushing up his big round glasses and rubbing under his eyes. It's not that long till he can leave but the last 30 minutes felt like 3 hours to him. Working here always made time feel like it was at a crawl. 

"Hey, wheat man!"

Wheatley plushes himself back in his chair to see rick waving at him from across the office aisle. 

Rick motions for him to come over to where the copier and the water cooler is. Flashing him a big-o handsome smile. 

Wheatley gives a tired sigh as starts rolling himself to the big brick shithouse of a man. Anything is better than working, but this better not be another one of his 'adventures' again. It might not be the best job, but Wheatley would very much like to actually keep his job. 

Rick is one of the other employees in the office, tho with his skills in mechanics it wont be long till he's prompted or at the very least finds a better job far from aperture as possible. 

He was tall, dark, and handsome. A perfect example of an adventure movie hero that had managed to shoot his way out of his own movie. Dark brown hair, bright green eyes, and a scar across his stubble dark chin. 

To this day, Wheatley wasn't very sure why he was working at an office or why he was so insistent in dragging Wheatley along with him into trouble. But he was a good change in atmosphere when everyone else around him seams to forget he even exists. 

Wheatley rolls over to him "Your not gonna drag out of the office again are you?" 

Wheatley looked up at the man and continued in a hush whisper "Last time you got yourself locked in a cryo chamber and I almost got caught by management getting you out! Your lucky I've got such good hacking skills." The hacking skills in question being, him trying passwords that felt right until whatever it was opened. Took a few but one of them just, sort of called out to him? And it happened to worked. Rick made to out with just a cold that lasted a week and Wheatley made it out with the leftovers of an anxiety attack. 

Rick gives a hearty laugh and puts his hand on Wheatleys shoulder. "No, not this time, but hey speaking of hacking, think you could use those hacking skills of your on the printer? It's not working again." He gestures over his shoulder at the table behind him, and Wheatley cranes his neck to look around him. 

"Well," Wheatley drummed his fingers across his thigh. "I don't see why not, v'got time to kill." 

And with that rick steps to the side to let Wheatley do his thing. Wheatley pushes himself over the the copier and puts his hand on it as he examines it. 

So what's all this fuss about! What's the matter with you? Feelin a little down, well I'm sure we can fix that. 

He thinks to himself as he leans forward in his chair starts to mess with copier, following his gut and doing what feels right. 

Just behind him, rick stands with his hands on his hips admiring his work as he speaks. 

"You gotta admit that there's something else going on around here though. Somethin the big boys are hiding. I can smell it..." 

Rick continues drowning on as Wheatley works. After a few sentences Wheatley unfortunately stoped paying attention as his focus was solely on the printer. 

Poke this  
Prod that  
Press that

Oh hey there we go, huh that worked.

The printer whirled to life and begins printing out all the paperwork that had been building up. 

Rick responded with a triumphant 'ha!' And a few hard slaps on Wheatleys back basically knocking the air out of him with a good 'oof' 

"Wheatley Pendleton, master machine whisper!"

Wheatley leans back in his chair as he nurses the sore spot on his back. "Uh-yeah sure. Thank you-it's nothing really" 

"That ain't nothin wheaters, you really got something" 

'Really? Well that's debatable really' he thinks to himself 

A load of good it does when your not sure what your doing. You can't put that on an application with no degree or paper proof. And it's not something he can really prove. Wheatley just thought it was just his little thing. Nothing like any superpower. While there were a few supers in the world, they normal actually have something. 

This was well-nothing really. Not at all compared to everything else around him.

Wheatley does sometimes catch himself daydreaming often. Of having something more than just this, of being a great hero like the others, of well. 

Being able to walk again... 

But it's not the life meant for him. 

Wheatley, after bumming himself out, lets out a sigh and starts to go back to his little cubicle. where he would most likely spend the rest of his life-if aperture itself wasn't gonna be the death of him that is.

Before he can even start rolling himself away to go mope, a shout breaks through the normal office chatter.

"ITS GONE ROGUE" 

The sound of glass breaking, and would splintering comes barreling through the halls as the sound of something fast shooting and thrashing about comes closer

"ITS COMING OUR WAY" shouts another "EVERYONE GET DOWN! NOW!" 

And just like that one of the lab experiments comes crashing into the office room. It's a hover board prototype. Or at least it was. Now it's more like an overpowered jet engine bullet saving about with no corse dragging destruction with it in its wake. 

Everyone drops down to the ground as the board makes it rounds around the office. Everyone but Wheatley, who's stuck in his wheel chair. 

With his hands on the wheels Wheatley searches for any kind of shelter or anything he can hid behind and use as a shield. Moving from side to side in a desperate panic. 

The board crashes left and right, just missing rick by an inch, shooting around again hitting the walls, destroying monitors, and finally whips around and starts heading straight for Wheatley.

Time is up!

It's coming in to quick!

Nonono  
Please stop please stop please!  
Stop stop stop! 

... it's quite.

Wheatley, who had opted to closeting his eyes and hoping his death is quick, opens them up. To see that the once rogue hover board is now stoped. Hovering just a few inches away from his head. But completely, and utterly still. Completely stoped

Wheatley is stunned. 

'Did-did I do that?'

He thinks for a second, then finally goes with his gut

...Shut down please? 

And just like that, the hover board drops to his feet. Completely without power.

The sound of a group of people running through the halls snaps Wheatley out of his thought.

He wheels back, away from the board and over the rick as a few of the scientists comes rushing in. 

They expect the hover board to have bursts through the window and was now tearing up the streets outside. Much to their delight, it was now on the floor.

One of the scientists walks over and picks up the board. 

"Must have broken itself and shut down. Lucky for us" 

The scientists chatter amongst themselves as they leave, giving no apologies, no explanation, and not a glance at any of the office workers as they depart. 

Wheatleys arms shank as he leans down to help his coworker up the best he could. The big guy hoists himself up with Wheatleys help and leans over him. 

"You nearly got yourself decapitated Wheatley! Are you ok?" 

Wheatley only nodded, he was more than ok. He was borderline ecstatic with what he had just learned. But, there no reason to say anything about it, is there?

"Your one lucky son-of-a-bitch there Pendleton!"

"Yeah...y-yeah lucky." Wheatley replied as he looked out at the carnage around him.   
  
Over the office intercom, a very familiar voice blasts through the pipes

"Cave Jonson here! Now I know the lab boy had a bit of a mishap with one of their experiments. I just wanted to chime in real quick, to tell all y'all that the threat is over. Now dust yourself off and get back to work! Time is money! And we don't got a lot of it!" 

And at the the intercom switches back off.

All the other employees pick themselves up, dust off and try to salvage any personal belongings one might have brought. No one seams to have seen what happened. Or cared. Like always, everyone doesn't seem to notice Wheatley is even there at all. And for once. He feels very, very happy with this

There's no reason to tell,   
no   
not at all. 

...

"You should have seen her, one of the prettiest little ladies I've ever seen. Haven't been able to get her to speak to me tho. Little lady's playing hard to get..." Rick continues to talk as they both exit the elevator. 

Like always the situation that had gone down earlier was treated like it never happened. Even management wouldn't let anyone go early. They just sent in people to fix work stations and put everyone back to work. As was the deal most of the time here at aperture. Crazy things happen all the time, they can't stop the day for everything that goes wrong. Time is money as they say. 

And like always, rick was going on and on again about a new lady. It was either a new lady he fancied, some weird adventure, or a conspiracy. 

While normally Wheatley enjoyed ricks rants, as it made him feel like he was part of one of his movies, Wheatley was far to distracted by today's events. 

He did that.

He did that!

Normally Wheatley would brush it off as dumb luck but there was way to much evidence to say otherwise. 

He said stop and it just, stoped! 

It stoped and shit down when he asked it too!

Has he always been able to do this? Why had he never tried? All these years of just, being good at technology and he never thought to try and control it? Wow he really was an idiot. Or maybe this is more of a recent ability?

His thoughts are broken with a strong nudge from rick. 

Wheatley looks up at him with a very confused and startled "huh?!"

"Oh man wheats, your really weren't listening" rick says with a chuckle 

"O-oh-sorry I'm, I just. Sorry..." Wheatley looks away. He notices that he's been moved. Wheatley must have stoped moving during his thought process, and Rick being the only one paying attention must have started pushing Wheatley until they were both out of the way. Normally Wheatley didn't like being moved around without his permission, but in this case he was sure rick had told him or tried to ask and Wheatley simply didn't respond. 

Rick looks down at him and shakes his head "nah it's cool man, not everyone can handle near danger like I can. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

'Wow thanks'

Wheatley decided to take the nicer conversation option, "what where you saying again? I'm sorry I was, not all there.."

Rick patted him on the shoulder again, lighter than usual which was welcoming. "Was simply asking if you wanted to go there some time with me! Good place, nice food, dark coffee, and a really good lookin-"

"I'm sorry-" Wheatley cuts him off, as he realizes how lost in the conversation he was. "Go where exactly?"

"The cafe I was telling you about! Man wheat, you really are shooken up. I normally help nice pretty ladies home but I'd be more than happy to take you home" he gives a smooth smile, finger gun, and a wink in Wheatley's direction. 

Wheatley simply shakes his head, face flushing slightly. "N-no I'm good. You go have fun at that cafe of yours. I just... need to go home... get some rest." 

At that rick give another hearty laugh an more slaps on the back. 

'Ow' 

They say their goodbyes and Wheatley begins his commute home. 

Boarding the train last, in the most empty carriage so he has more space for him and his wheelchair. Wheatley spends the commute thinking and building one of his pocket legos so he has something to do with his hands. If everything is correct, then he just might be able to make his life easier at home. He might actually have something special. He smiles to himself as he brushes some of his hair out of his eyes. Putting the pieces into place. 

'Yes' he thinks to himself 'this will be perfect, absolutely brilliant!' 

The rest of the train ride. He feels the most calm and comfortable he has ever felt.

...

Door, unlock

And just like that, his door, which has an electronic lock he had put in to make things easier, unlocks! 

He twists the nob and lets himself in, overjoyed at his success. And as he closes it behind him, he simply looks at the lock, and thinks

Door, lock

And just like that, he hears the door lock itself! 

Wheatley wheels over to the kitchen. Wearing the biggest, doofiest grin imaginable. Looking at his little radio sitting on the kitchen counter he focuses, concentrates, and!

Radio, on 

Soft music begins to pour out of the little radios speakers and fill his apartment.

Wheatley crows aloud in success! Spending the rest of his evening, turning stuff on and off, starting and stoping stuff, turning up the radio, turning down to tv, silencing the microwave beeper. Anything and everything technological in anyway that resides within his apartment gets psychicly messed with all evening.

He tests to see how far he can mess with stuff, which shows no limit. Sees how many things he can mess with at the same time, two it looks like. And I'm general joyfully entertains himself with his house's roomba. 

'If I can just, get some more tech, I can make so many things! I could do so much! I can...'

Wheatley soon finds however, that he's starting to get, very, very tired. 

In a very Wheatley fashion he had tuckered itself out from all the dicking around he just did. Waking up an hour later at his desk with a half finished project. 

Wheatley, being someone very easy to influence, gives in to his tiredness and sends himself off to bed. After some pushing and pulling and rearranging. He tucks himself into bed, his wheelchair just near by, and the light still on. 

He looks up and thinks

Lights, off 

And just like that, they blink off leaving him in a nice. Blissful darkness. In a sweet, techno dream filled sleep...

...

A few weeks have past and Wheatley is now seated with Rick and two of his friends at the cafe. 

Rick kept insisting that Wheatley join him and his friends one day and Wheatley, being Wheatley, had easily caved in and agreed to come along.

Now he sits at the end of the booth. Awkward and uncomfortable. As the three of them talk amongst themselves. They all already know each other so well. Have already found their place within their group. Wheatley feels more out of place than normal. 

The cafe however, Wheatley found, was a very nice place. 

He enjoyed the music that was playing. The tea he ordered was very nice and perfectly sweet. And the entire atmosphere was a very warm and welcoming one. 

He had ended up messing with his phone through out the entire outing, tapping his hand against his thigh. Like restless leg syndrome, but for his hand instead. Tapping very fast, restlessly. 

He still didn't quite understand why rick wanted him to drag him along to things like this. If he wasn't (such a push over) so nice he would have stayed home and continued working on his little project. 

A perk about no one around you really noticing you exist means it's very easy to do things and for no one to find out. 

Wheatley had managed to find a box of old tech that aperture had collecting dust in a closet somewhere. He was able to lug the entire box around and out of the building with no one so much as batting an eye at him. Let alone even looking at him. Still for extra security Wheatley had practiced stoping security cameras from filming so he could take the box with out anyone watching noticing. Any time he saw one, he waited for the hall to be clear, before thinking the command 'repeat' moving past the cameras till he was out of sight, and then thinking the command 'resume'.

It's worked like a charm and no one has gone looking around for anything he took!

So he had been tinkering around with it, trying to construct something that could help him reach places he couldn't, and do thing in places he couldn't access. Unfortunately he needed a few more parts. But rick and stoped him on his way to an old abandoned testing area aperture had left to rot years ago that still had some stuff in it because it was sealed off completely. Rick insisted he come along and join them since they were headed in the same direction. (They weren't, Wheatley had just taken a wrong turn) 

And so here he was. Nibbling on a piece of apple tart and drinking tea with people he didn't know that well. It was a really good tart. But his mind was still elsewhere. 

"Damn she must not be working today." Rick said in a sad tone and he looked over his shoulder searching through the rest of the crowd. 

"She's probably avoiding you, in fact, I presume she quit her job just to get away from you." Said one of the other guys with thin square glasses and dark hair. His eyes were dark, but not quite brown. Wheatley couldn't really tell what they were mostly because he was too bush staring intently at his plate. He did like his dark blazer though. His name was...well darn. He didn't quite catch his name, what was it again? Wheatley had already forgotten.

"Can-it Craig." 

Ah, that's what I was.

"you couldn't get a lady even if she was desperate and ended up on your door step." 

At that, the youngest of the group bursts out laughing. He has very intense natural red hair that burns very, very orange and bright hazel eyes. Little speckles of freckles decorate his checks like constellations. He's wearing a red NASA hoodie which ties everything together into a dorky space cadet. 

With Rick in his white tank top, black leather jacket, and adventure cap this group looked like a true mess of characters. 

Wheatley had chosen to wear his favorite blue sweater over a nicer dress shirt, and had a fuzzier black blanket warp around his legs. He might not be able to feel anything past his waist but he liked having the blankets. Always made him feel a bit more cozier and safer. The blankets also served as a nice cradle for his legos when he was messing with them at work. So that was always nice. 

As the other 3 chat away to each other, Wheatley finds himself now messing with a few pennies he found in his pocket. Funneling them back and forth between his hands. 

He really wants to join in, but he's only know rick and not even all that well. As bad as it sounds, Wheatley never thought of him much of a friend. He was never really sure why rick wanted him around. 

Pity most likely 

As he continues to nervously fiddle with the pennies, he feels a tiny little hand, reach over and wrap around two of Wheatley's fingers. 

Startled, he looks over to see a little girl! Wheatley pushes up his glasses to see her a little clearer.

She looks to be around, 6 or 7. She's wearing an adorable white jacket with a big hood that she has pulled up. And she looks to be wearing black pajama pants. Dangerously pale skin, short white hair that goes a little past her ears and flips up at the ends. Her gaze is distant. Eyes a bright crimson. 

"Oh hello," he says looking down at her. "Need something?" Wheatley is used to children coming up to him. They would ask about his wheelchair, or anything else dealing with his, life long situation. Though he was delighted when once a child had asked him about his legos. And they had a small conversation about legos till their mother found them, and apologized for the inconvenience before leaving. 

It's always a guess what the child will bring up, it's not always something Wheatley wants to talk about. However this child is an awfully adorable one, though a bit strange. She must be shy! She must be such a sweet little girl~

Wheatley give his best welcoming smile as the child looks up at him, her gaze becoming no longer distant as she focuses on him. She stare into his eyes for a few seconds.

Then she says, in a sticky sweet voice. 

"Don't worry, you'll make it out alive." 

Ok, not adorable. No longer adorable.

"...what?"

But just as she appeared, she had let. 

Wheatley watches as she walks away to an unoccupied table. She ducks down underneath it, and as soon as she covers her head.

There are gunshots.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's some accidental emara vibs in this. If you haven't seen emara uuuh you should! It's on YouTube.


	3. The fight

"EVERYONE ON THE GROUND! NOW"

Chaos erupts within the cafe and as a man with a gun storms through. 

"Hey man, don't do this-"

"SHUT UP!" 

Rick was cut off as the man approaches their table. Screaming them. 

He walks up and presses his gun flush against ricks forehead. 

"YOUR GONNA SHUT UP AND DO AS WE SAY. OR ELSE."

Looking around there are two other people with masks and guns. While the ringleader looks to have a pistol, the other two have simi automatic rifles. 

One of them guards the main entrance and the other walks around checking every corner, making their way to the back kitchen. 

Wheatley is trembling in his chair. His coworker has a gun pointed at his head not every a foot away from him by a power crazed mad man. He's heard about the recent robberies in Borealis main square but he never thought he'd end up stuck in the middle of one. 

And to make things worse, now then man was looking at him. 

"DIDNT YOU HEAR ME? I SAID ON THE FLOOR!"

"I-I-I can't!" Wheatley stutters holding his hands up in front of his face. 

"HANDS OVER YOUR HEAD!"

Wheatley shakes as he does so, putting them up above his head. Squeezing his eyes shut. He can barely keep them up with how badly he's shaking. 

"ALIGHT, THIS IS WHATS GONNA HAPPEN." As the man spoke he began to pace around a little, looking everyone in the eye but still pointing his gun at Wheatley. "EVERYONE HERE IS GONNA TURN OUT YOUR POKETS, GIVE US ANY MONEY OR VALUABLES IN YOUR POSSESSION." 

He then marches back over to Wheatley who still has his eyes clenched shut, tears starting to form in his eyes. 

"WE ARE NOT. MESSING. AROUND." At that the man kicks Wheatley's wheelchair over.

Wheatley falls to the side, hits his head across one of the tables legs and lands on his wrist. He lets out a pained gasp cradling his wrist the best he could wile staying on the ground. His head pulses in pain and he feels something wet run down the side of his face. 

Wheatley hears the collective gasps and whimpers from the other patrons in the cafe. He opens his eyes a bit, his vision half blurred as his glasses had been knocked askew. 

The ringleader walks around as he pulls out a big, getting ready to make is rounds in the gathering. 

"SCOUT, IS THERE ANYONE IN THE BACK?"  
The man shouts across the cafe towards the kitchen. After a few seconds of silence, he calls out again. Still nothing. 

Before he can call out again however. Something quite peculiar happens. Wheatley sees as a bright orange ball of light shoots across the cafe, or at least he thinks it's a ball. It traveled so fast it was almost in a blink. Then, an orange looking pool appears above the masked man at the entrance. It shimmers for a second, like ripples of bright fire under water before it clears. It looks to be, another room? 

Before Wheatley could process any of it, a body comes crashing through the portal, landing on top of the entrance man. It's the other robber who went in the back! 

The two man scramble back up and start shooting above them through the portal. But then it changes! And then it moves. And then there's a blue one! 

Wheatley watches as they get tricked, thrown and flung through the holes. And in the misted of it all, he sees a flash of bright orange. So quick, out of sight before he can see it clearly. Well, as best as he could possibly see it from his fantastic vantage point on the ground with skewed eyesight and bad vision all together. 

However that vantage point changed as Wheatley gets yanked up from behind. His glasses fall to the ground as an arm wraps around his neck. Securing him in a head lock the man hold Wheatley hostage in his arms. Shoving his gun up against Wheatley head and pushing it hard into his skin. 

Wheatley can feel the circumference of the gun barrel imprinting itself into his skin. He claws at the mans arms to no avail. His long lengthy legs lay folded and lifeless underneath him. The man is shouting but he can't quite process what he's saying. Wheatley feels big hot tears rolling down his cheeks. 

He doesn't want to die! Not like this! Not at all actually-but especially not when he's finally found something within him! 

But here his is, tiny insignificant little Wheatley is gonna die by the hands of a robber and with a bullet through his skull. 

His heart is racing. He's crying, it hurts so much. His head is screaming just as loud as the man is. He's starting to have trouble breathing with how tightly he's being held. His throat burns from the pressure and his sobs. Blood mixing with tears.

Please make it stop! Please end this! Please

He hears a gun shot...

And he's falling.

And then it's dark.

...

The next thing he knows, he feels, something, oh.

He flutters his eyes open. His body feels like hell but there's a new pressures under his arm. A hot one, a hand actually. The feeling of soft burning palms under his arm cradling his ribs. He looks to see an orange covered arm go under his legs. Looking up, he is greeted by the concerned features of a woman. 

He can only see the bottom half of her face, the rest is covered with an orange hood. But it looks so, gentle. Smooth caramel skin and sweet lips curled into a worried expression. Feathery wisps of deep dark brown hair flow from the back of the hood. A few strands tickle his nose. He sees his glasses resting in the edge of the hood.

With ease, she picks him up. His head cradled gently on her shoulder. He arranges his arm around her neck to steady himself. Feeling her muscles work and she secures her hold around him. She's so strong. Being in her arms, makes Wheatley feel so, safe. 

As she walks Wheatley finds himself at a complete lose for words. Staring up at her, he can feel his heart beat faster, for a completely different reason this time. And the feeling his face is a little warmer than before.

She stops and moves around, kicking up his wheelchair with just her leg. And then she gently places him back in it. Arranging him as gently as possible. Wheatley can only sit and stare as she picks up his blanket and carefully wraps it back around his legs, a lot neater then Wheatley had managed this morning as well.   
  
He feels the redness of his face creep to his ears as she slides his glasses off of her hoodie and gently places them back into place. Placing her hand on his head. Gently dabbing up the stray blood with a napkin.

With shaky hands, he places his over hers. Compared to his, her hands are so small. Her fingers are soft and light. Still a little hot from the fight. And the way they feel in his own makes a warmth blossom in his chest. 

"Thank you" the words leave his lips in a shaky quiet breath. 

She flinches a little, then give a small smile. A small smile that, if you weren't looking, you would have miss it. Still enough to send a small twist in Wheatleys chest.

She slides her hand out from under his and places it over the back of his hand, as if to say 'hold it there please.' And then she rises to her feet. 

Wheatley feels the panic writhe inside of him as she does so.

'No!'  
'Don't go!'  
'Please'

But with a few of her quick purposeful strides she's already halfway across the cafe helping any else who needs it. And then, seeing that all is ok. Shoots a blue portal at the floor, and the other somewhere out of sight before jumping through them. Blinking out of existence, along with the portal on the floor. 

...  
  
Chell finishes up another apple tart and carefully placed it on the big tray with the others to get baked. 

She had been assigned the tarts today as she had been getting good at them. Moly would come in saying how everyone loved them, sweet woman that she is. 

Chell isn't the only one in the kitchen however. A few others were back here too working on the bigger orders in hire demand, including Mr. Ivan, the head baker. He was in charge of the cakes, and big orders. Today had been a busy day, things have been picking up around here as of late. 

The days flew by faster then Chell could count. 

At the cafe she was getting trained to work in the kitchen, baking pastries and breads. 

Moly had cheerfully came up to her and announced to chell that she was 'going to be working with big mama today.' 

Pulling her into the kitchen, basically spending all day showing Chell how moly makes each of her treats. 

Today was one of the days Chell was left to do it all one her own. She didn't mind, she liked it a lot actually. 

Being away from the crowds, from all the people, and the noise. 

Chell was by no means someone who hated everyone. She just simply prefers to be alone and work alone. 

She especially like working with her hands as well. Moly would come in to help with bigger orders but most of the time she leaves Chell to do her thing. 

Chell deeply appreciates all the effort moly was putting in to make Chell feel comfortable and work the best she can. 

Tho Chell can very well handle the customers outside, she just doesn't want to if she's honest. 

Her favorite so far however, would have to be Ophelia. The young girl who spends a lot of time at the cafe for some reason. 

She's a sickly looking child, white hair, red eyes and the palest skin Chell has ever seen. Moly always give her free treats and lets her draw at one of the tables in the corner. 

Today however, Ophelia had come up to chell in the kitchen. She tugged on her shirt and Chell turned around to see her. 

With her hand still clutching chells gray shirt, she slowly looked up at Chell. Her eyes soon focused on chells, staring deep within them. Then she simply reached up, and wrapped her fingers around chells hand. She gave a good strong squeeze, like a squeeze to reassure someone of something.

Then she opened her mouth to say something. But then she shut it as her eyes became distant. 

She stood there for a while, still holding chells hand. Then the gave one more squeeze before slipping her hand away and walking out of the kitchen.

Chell assumes she's shy because she has only looked over at Chell, but hasn't approached her for anything other than a fresh cookie or two. Coming up to tug on chells shirt and pointing. Looking through her or just past her.

Chell can completely understand. She does the same thing to avoid conversations. Tho if Ophelia has something important to tell her, she'll say something eventually. Until then she sits there and draws. Always wrapped up in her white hoodie.

Speaking of hoodies.

Chell smiles at the bright convict orange hoodie hung up one the wall by the break room door. she received from Doug earlier today. 

He came in with it gift wrapped and joked about how it matches her now. 

He's gotten into the habit of buying and drawing things in the blue n' orange combination since the discovery of her powered. This jacket is merely the latest punch-line in the on going in joke. 

Just as Chell is about to start on her last tart, she hears guns shots. 

Chell ducts down in response to the sound. Pressing her spine into the still hot oven door. Heart begins to race in her ears, as she listens to the sound of a man shouting. As everyone else in the back sneaks as quietly as they can out the back door, and into the back alleys.

They all make it out except for Chell. 

She stealthy creeps over to the curtained doorway, peering around the corner to try and get a better view of what's going on. 

There is a man yelling. He is walking around with a small hand gun. 

There is two more men with him, with larger guns that can shoot more bullets faster. 

The main man continues to yell as one of them stays at the front entrance, and the other makes his way around the cafe. 

He's heading to the kitchen.

Chell quietly crawls her way to the far end of the kitchen. By the time she reaches the back door, she hears the bells on the curtains get part. 

The man has comes into the back. Chell listens as he wrestles with the curtains. Then she hears them fall to the ground with the pole they were hung from.

Chell keeps herself low to the ground as she peeks around the counters. 

The man creeps around, heading in her direction. Chell slowly and quietly heads back over to the front. 

Chell would portal out the only problem being is she can't risk being seen. 

Not because she a super, those are a normal thing that just happens, but because she got all this from aperture.

Chell has no idea if they knew what those tests did, or if this was their plan all along. She only knows this.

If someone in town sees her portals, aperture will know. 

If someone sees her face, aperture will know. 

If aperture wanted to keep her there and test her again, they will.

Chell will not let that happen. 

As the man investigates the far back of the kitchen, Chell tires her best to see what's going on in the front. 

Looking through the glass of the pastries display case, she sees the ringleader.

He's making his way to a blond man in a chair. Chell angles her head to get a better look and sees it's a wheelchair. The poor man is visibly shaking.

The ringleader yells and swiftly kicks the chair. 

The man falls, hitting the ground and letting out a cry of pain. 

The sound digs into chells ears. It stings, it burns. 

The ringleader continues, having made his point, and an example out of the man.

Fuck it 

Chell works fast and the man in the kitchen with her digs around. She pulls down the orange hood on the hook. Throws off her work apron and slips on hoodie. Pulling hood up to hide face. 

Chell hears the ringleader call out to someone. She looks behind her and see that the man as begun to make his way back.

Positioning herself, she extends her left hand out. Hot energy builds under her skin, burning her palm as she shoots a portal above the man at the door. She feels it connect to the wall. 

She then aims for the scout, shooting a blue portal right where man is walking. 

She misses, it connects to the wall instead of the floor. The scout is now standing there looking through it. 

Chell decides it good enough and goes up behind him. She puts her hands on sides of the counters. Pushes off, swings her body, and successfully kicks him through the portal. 

The scout lands on top of the door man. Both collapsing on the ground, all the way in the other room. 

They both hurriedly scramble up, grabbing their guns. Chell ducks out of the way. As they aim and begin shooting at her through her portals.

Chell vaults over the counters and slides to a stop at the kitchen entrance.

Aiming her left, she shoots an orange portal against the left wall. With her right, a blue under the men again. This time easier when they aren't moving, Chell needs to work on that.

They both get flung through and land in a heap just outside the orange portal.

While they lay there, Chell shoots the blue under herself to go through. 

Now that she's in view, the ring leader starts to shoots at her as he makes his way to her . Chell shoot a portal against the wall then under him and he walks through. He gets flung back and hits his head on a table. Laying on the ground, now not moving.

With all the men down, chells mind kicks into high gear. They won't stay down for long, they are already moving to get up. She swings her head around and sees the people cowering beside her at the tables. 

She goes to them and carefully help one of them up. She gestures to the corner of the room and motions other to follow. 

A lot of the cafe patrons comply, as they make their way away from the action.

Chell is about to get more away from the fight until she feels restraints on both her wrists. The door man is behind her, his hands clamped down on her wrists. 

With a turn of her head she sees the scout reaching for his gun.

Chell swings around, basically throwing him off of her. Thinking fast, she shoots a blue portal to where he's heading and and orange beside it. 

He goes through one and out the other, hitting the floor and rolls. 

The scout just got missed by and inch and now has possession of one of the guns. 

He aims and starts to shoot at Chell. She aims an orange portal under herself and dives down. 

When she comes out the orange the scout has already turned around to aim at her. 

Heart racing, her hands working faster than her thoughts, she aims above him and below him. 

He starts falling through the portals, picking up speed as he begins to scream. His gun now discarded.

'Wow that actually looks, really fun.'

Chells thoughts however, are interrupted by a sharp burst of pain at her back. 

She falls to the ground, catching herself on her forearms. Another shock of pain shoots through her arms on impact.

Quickly, she rolls on her back to see the door man raising a chair above his head. 

Chell rolls out of the way. As the chair comes down on to her.

Chell spins on the ground and kicks his feet out from under him.

The man falls with a hard thud on the ground as Chell jumps up.

Man finds gun beside him and starts shooting from his point on the ground. 

Chell scrambles away. Bullets just missing her. 

She rolls behind a table that was knocked over earlier. Digging her spine into the hard grains of cold wood. Feeling each shot into the table sending coils of vibration through her bones.

'This table won't hold for long.'

Craning her neck, she still sees the scout free falling. She waits and times herself as she watches the man fall, aiming the portal above the one shooting at her. 

Carefully, angling her hand. But she can't see where to shoot from her. 

She's going to have to risk it. 

Deep breaths, she fills her lungs with the smell gun smoke and spilled coffee. Turning around, positioning her feet, the energy burning deed within her palm, ready, set.

She shoots up and fires.

The hot blue ball of light escapes her palm, free flying through to air. As time feels slowed. 

The man aims his firepower up, as Chell goes down. She feels the portal connect as she ducks down behind the table again, justmissing the bullets aimed her way, except-

The scout falls through the orange and lands on the other man. The sound of screaming and gunfire cease.

Chell cradles her arm, seething in quiet pain. A bullet had manage to graze her right arm. Though it won't kill her, or did any real lasting damage. But It hurts like a bitch and will most likely leave a scar. 

Chell gets up, wrapping one of the napkins around her wrist and arm. As she begins kicking the guns away from the men. As she tugs her sleeves back down, now that the chaos has en-

"DON'T TAKE ANOTHER STEP!" 

She whips around, only to see the ringleader fully awake and standing.

Her heart plummets at the sight in front of her.

Gripped in a chokehold is the blond man who was kicked out of his wheelchair. 

The poor man is crying, weakly clawing at the ringleaders arms that hold him hostage. His legs useless beneath him. A gun pressed into the side of his head.

"YOU MUST THINK YOU'RE SUCH A HERO! Well MISSY! If you make ANY MORE MOVES. The crippled over here won't have to worry about walkin..."

Chell keeps perfectly still, watching the man with an intensity that could burn a hole through his heart if he had one. 

Chells mind burns as the man continues.

"Yeah not so strong now ARE YA?! THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A QUICK HIEST." He moves his thumb over and pulls back the safety. "Well now I'll make sure you'll-"

A shattering can be heard as a cup splits across the floor.

The man turns to the noise, tensing as he does.

His finger curls across the trigger.

'Wait!'

Chell races up, and pulls his his hand away.

The bullet exits the barrel, shoots past the captives face, missing him by an inch. 

The bullet embeds itself into the wall.  
  
Chell pusses the man back and down to the table behind them. Wrestling his grip. The captive is dropped. 

The captive passes out. From the mixture of pain and fear. He's out before he hits the ground poor guy.

Chell slams the ringleader into the table behind him.

They connect to the table with a loud 'bang'

As they wrestle around, Chell swings her fist and clocks him in the jaw. Sharp pain rushes through her knuckles at contact. She winded up again, ignoring the pain but she gets slung around. Her back gets slammed into the table.   
  
He's so close she can smell the cigarette smoke on his breath, he angles his gun, pointing it at her face. 

Chell looks past him, aims a portal behind them at the floor, shoots the orange, and pushes with all her strength.

They both fall through the portal.

Chell tucks in her knees as she free falls. 

They land, Chell on top of the man, her knees digging into his ribs. She thinks she hears a crack and hopes it's his bones.

He's still awake after the impact however. His guns discarded he reaches for it. But Chell gets to it first. 

She takes the glock and wacks him across the head with it. Drawing some blood as she dies so. 

The man doesn't move.

He lays limp underneath her.

Everything is over. 

Chell trows the pistol over to were she kicked the other guns.

Thinking fast, Chell gets up and takes some of the soiled tablecloths laying around.

She begins to sit the men up and ties the cloth around their arms and legs.

Other people start to calm down. Creeping out from their hidden refuge, seeing to each other. Making sure no one else is hurt.

Chell feels a hand on her shoulder. She whips around and aims her hand at the man behind her. 

Her hands burn from the fight and still have a faint glow of blue and orange. 

"Woah woah its ok it's just me." Says the man with bright green eyes. He hold his hands up in a peaceful gesture.

Chell lowers her hands, it's just that one guy who comes in a lot. The one who tries to hit on her. He's a bit annoying, but not dangerous. 

Chell takes a few deep breaths to calm herself. She lets him crouch down beside her. Taking a bit of tablecloth, he wounds it around the scouts wrists as he speaks.

"Shit lady, I'm glad you stoped by. But any lady as pretty as yourself has gotta to have as gorgeous of a heart."

'Oh god, he just doesn't stop does he?' 

"Anyways, I'm sure I'd have it all under control if you didn't show up. Was about to give these scumbags a good take down. But I thank a good lady like yourself." He tips his hat in her direction

Chell scoots over to tie up the body further away.

"Poor wheats tho, that lowlife ain't a real man if he picks on someone in a wheelchair. I hope he's ok... damn I really messed up." 

He looks behind him. Chell follows his line of sight to sees the blond man is still on the ground. 

"I hope I can make it up to him..."

Chells heart aches at the sight of him. His arms in a awkward position, head still bleeding, not moving. Is he-is he even breathing?! 

She rushes over to him. She presses her fingers to his wrist. She feels a faint pumping under her finger tips. The lets out a sigh of relief. Some of the tension in her shoulders begins to fade away as she turns him over. 

His hair is a tangled mess. The color reminding her of golden wheat fields. That must be where the nickname came from. 

She frowns as she sees it's been stains a bit with his blood. 

She reaches over and picks up his big round gold rimed glasses. Folding them up and hanging them on her hoodie. 

Carefully, she puts her arm under his legs and around his body. She feels his head shift, looking down she sees he's awake now. 

His eyes are a stratosphere blue, bright and feverish, lost in a daze. 

She looks him over as she lifts him off the ground. He hit his head, so she wouldn't be surprised if he was confused.

She adjusts herself as the man secures his arms around her neck, rest his head on her shoulder. 

She starts towards his wheelchair with ease. She doesn't remember having this much strength but she not complaining. As she walks she can feel his heart beating fast in her arms.

He must be terrified.

She walks over to the chair, maneuvering her foot under the side of it and kicking it up right. 

As gently as possible, she sets him down. Looking around she sees a black blanket and remembers seeing it around his legs. 

She picks it up and begins wrapping it around his lap, tucking it under his legs. He's so still, she hopes he's going to be alright.

She lifts her head up, staring at the blood at the side of his head. She takes the glasses and opens them up. Gently sliding them over his ears and resting them on his nose. He blinks at her in surprise, his eyes adjusting to the lenses.

Taking the napkin in her lap, she begins to dab up to blood. Taking extra care to be gently. She can't quite tell how bad it is with all the blood everywhere. It's still bleeding too. So are her knuckles now that she looks.

Chell was so lost in the thoughts about the wound that she flinches as she feels a shivering hand envelope hers. 

The man in front of her closes his eyes in a dazed expression. When he opens them again, the look he gives makes her heart skip.

"Thank you..." the words escape his lips, in a quiet breath. Lovely blue eyes bright, warm, and glistening from tears stare back at her. 

Despite how quite and small his words were they sound so grateful and brimming with, affection? 

Chell can't hold back the smile at the edge of her lips as she brings herself back to the present. 

As much as she wants to stay and help him more, she can't risk being seen, shh can already hear the sirens. The police will be here soon. So she slips her hand out from under his. Feeling the rough texture of his skin dance across the back of her hand. It sends soft prickles through her arm. 

She places is back over his. Pressing a little so he's holding the side of his head better. Then she gets up. Turning to see everyone.

They have all consoled each other and the robbers are all tied up. Satisfied, she shoots a portal at her feet, and then another at the wall beside the back door. 

She jumps through and tugs her hoodie off. With quick purposeful steps she goes to her car and places it under it. Rushing out of the ally way before she's seen.

She makes her way to the front of the cafe. The police has finally arrived and are now taking the robbers to the cars. 

Everyone has funneled out and are now waiting to be questioned by the police. 

Moly, who was in the middle of questioning, locks eyes with Chell and goes running up to her as Chell makes her way over.

Moly wraps her arms around Chell in a bone crushing hug, ignoring her previous knowledge of how much Chell doesn't like contact all too well. 

But both don't care and embrace the moment. 

Moly breaks the hug and looks up at her. 

"I'm so glad your ok! Ivan couldn't remember if you made it out the back with them or not. Are you ok?!"

Chell gives a soft smile and nods. 

She not, but she will be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know, I didn't write this with the intention of tf2 being involved but honestly if you imagine tf2 scout getting his ass kicked by Chell then lmao be free.


End file.
